Mail-bag holder.



r9 0 9 1 I 1 T G 0 D E T N E T A P m "U I R K R 0 2 1 2 0 8 0 N MAIL BAG HOLDER.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 14.1904.

Inventor 2i?" Ema/B122.

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RUSSELL B. RICE, OF LAS VEGAS, TERRITORY OF NEl/V MEXICO.

WlAlL -BAG HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed September 14:, 1904. Serial No. 224,467.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUSSELL B. Bron, a citizen of the United States, residing at Las Vegas, in the county of San Miguel and Territory of New Mexico, have invented a new and useful Mail-Bag Holder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for facilitating the handling of mail-bags, pouches, and the like, and more particularly to a rack or holder for supporting the mouth of the bag in distended position while assorting anddistributing the mail-matter.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, durable, and eflicient device of this character, principally designed for use in post-offices, on mail-cars, and in other places, and by means of which the mailbag may be supported in a convenient posi tion for receiving the letters, packages, and other articles.

A further object is to provide a rack comprising a pair of pivoted members having a plurality of spring-pressed bag-supporting teeth, said members being movable toward each other to close the mouth of the bag.

A still further object is to provide means for simultaneously depressing the teeth on both pivoted members to thereby release the bag after the latter has been filled and the mouth thereof closed.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail-bag rack or holder constructed in accordance with myinvention, showing the manner of supporting the bag. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the mouth of the bag closed and said bag in position to be released. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the bag-supporting lingers or pins depressed and the bag released. Fig. lis an enlarged detail view of a portion of one of the bag-supporting frames.

Similar numerals of reference indicate cor responding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The device forming the subject-matter of the present invention comprises a main bagsupporting frame 5, preferably rectangular in shape, as shown, and consisting of a pair of side bars 6, connected in any suitable manher by cross-bars 7. The frame 5 is pivoted to the floor or other support by hinges 8, secured to the lower cross-bar 7, the upper end of said frame being supported in a slightlyinclined position by a chain or other flexible medium 8', one end of which is secured to the upper cross-bar and the opposite end thereof to a rail 9, usually employed in post-offices and other mail-distributing centers as a support for the mail-pouches. Pivoted in any suitable manner to the side bars 6 isa similar bag-supporting frame 10, the side bars 11 of which are connected by a cross-beam 12 and have their lower ends bent inwardly, as indicated at 13, so as to properly space said frames and permit the mail-bag 1.4: to be supported between the same.

The mail-bag let, which may be of any desired construction,is preferably provided with side flaps 15, having one or more openings formed therein adapted to receive a series of impaling pins or spurs 16, and by means of which the bag is temporarily retained in position on the crossbars of the supportingframes. The impaling pins or spurs are adapted to slide freely through slots or openings 17 in the cross-bars of the supportingframes and are normally held above said bars by means of, preferably, leaf-springs 18, which engage depressible bars 19, to which said pins are secured, and transversely-disposed brace-bars 19, fastened in any suitable manner between the side bars of the supporting-frames. The pins or spurs are pivoted to the bars 19, as indicated at 20, and are adjustable laterally in boxes 21, arranged in the slots 17, so as to permit said pins or spurs to be forced toward each other to accommodate bags of differentsizes. The pins are normally held in contact with the side bars of the supporting-frames by springs 22, the latter being secured to the bars 19 by bolts 23, which also serve to secure the leaf-springs 18 in position to the segmental portions of the bars 19. The bars 19 are mounted for vertical movement on inwardly-extended flanges 24:, secured to the side bars of the supporting-frames, as

shown, the downward movement of said bars being limited by blocks 25, preferably resting on the brace-bars 19, and the upward movement thereof by collars 26, secured to or formed integral with the impaling pins or spurs and adapted to engage the boxes 21.

Pivoted to one of the side bars 6 and 11, respectively, of each supporting-frame is a lever 27, connected by a cord or chain 28 to the bar 19, the free end of each of saidlevers being connected through the medium of a flexible connection 29 to a common foot-operated lever 30, so that by depressing said foot-lever the pins or spurs of both supporting-frames will be simultaneously withdrawn through the openings in the cross-bars, and thereby release the mail bag or pouch.

The side bars of the supporting-frames are preferably connected by cords or chains 31, which limit the outward movement of the pivoted frame 10 and permit the latter to be folded upon the main frame 5 after the bag has been filled.

In practice the mouth of the bag or pouch is held in distended position between the frames 5 and 10 by adjusting the pins or spurs laterally and inserting the same through the openings in the side flaps 15, as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings. After the letters or other mail-matter have been introduced in the bag or pouch the mouth of the latter is closed by pressing inwardly on the hinged side sections 32 and tilting the pivoted frame 5 rearwardly upon the main frame to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The mouth of the bag is then looked and said bag released by depressing the foot-operated lever, which withdraws the pins or spurs from engagement with the bag and permits the latter to fall to the ground.

The rack or holder may be formed of wood, metal,orothersuitablematerial,and,ifdesired, coil-springs may be employed for elevating the bag-supporting pins or spurs instead of the leaf-springs shown and described.

By having the main supporting-frame pivoted to the floor the rack or holder maybe tilted to facilitate the introduction of the mail-matter and both of said frames tilted rearwardly against the rail or support when not in use, so as to take up very little room.

While I have shown a specially-constructed mailbag or pouch to be used in connection with my holder, it is obvious that the ordinary form of pouch may be used by simply inserting the mouth of the bag over the pins or spurs, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a pair of pivoted bag-supporting frames each provided with a plurality of laterally-adjustable spring pressed impaling pins, and means whereby said pins are projected or retracted to engage or release the bag.

2. In a device of the class described, a main frame, a pivoted frame having its side bars bent inwardly and connected to the main frame, bag-supporting pins carried by said frames, and means for retracting said pins to thereby release the bag.

3. In a device of the class described, a pair of pivoted bag-supporting frames, laterallyadjustable spring-pressed pins carried by said frames and adapted to engage the bag, and a lever pivoted to each frame for retracting the pins to thereby release the bag.

4. In a device of the class described, a pair of pivoted bag-supporting frames, laterallyadjustable spring-pressed pins carried by said frames and adapted to engage the bag, and a lever for simultaneously retracting the pins on both frames to thereby release the bag.

5. In a device of the class described, a pair of bag-supporting frames, a spring-pressed bar mounted for vertical movement on each frame, pins pivoted to said bars and adapted to engage the bag, a lever pivoted to each frame, a flexible connection between said levers and the spring-pressed bars, and means for simultaneously operating said levers to retract the pins and thereby release the bag.

6. In a device of the class described, a main frame, a pivoted frame having its side bars bent inwardly and connected to the main frame, a flexible connection between said frames, means carried by said frames for supporting a mail-bag, and means for releasing said bag.

7. In a device of the class described, a pair of pivoted bag-supporting frames provided with inwardly extended guiding flanges, spring pressed bars mounted for vertical movement on said flanges, pins carried by said bars and adapted to engage the bag, means for limiting the upward movement of said pins, and means for retracting the pins to thereby release the bag.

8. In a device of the class described, a pair of pivoted bag-supporting frames, spring pressed bars mounted for vertical movement on said frames, pins carried by said bars and adapted to engage the bag, means for limiting the downward movement of said bars, and a lever for simultaneously depressing both bars to thereby retract the pins and release the bag.

9. In a device of the class described, a pair of pivoted bag-supporting frames provided with inwardly extending guiding flanges, spring pressed bars mounted for vertical movement on said flanges, laterally-adj ustable pins carried by said bars and extending through openings in the frames for engagement with the bag, levers pivoted to said frames for depressing said bars, and a common foot-operated lever connected to the firstnamed levers for depressing the latter to thereby retract the pins and release the bag.

10. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a support, of a main frame In testimony that I claim the foregoing as pivoted to the support, a pivoted frame havmy own I have hereto affixed my signature 1n IO mg 1ts side bars bent inwardly and connected the presence of two Witnesses.

to the lower end of the main frame, springa 1 5 pressed pins carried by both frames and adapt- RUSSELL BILL ed to engage a mall-bag, and means for simul- Witnesses:

taneously depressing said pins to thereby re- Mrs. F. M. ROPER,

lease the bag. NORA E. FLOWERS. 

